Afterwards
by youarethelight
Summary: Ever wondered what happened between Ron and Hermione in the Hospital Wing after the DoM attack? Well, here's a lovely fluffy missing moment for you all ... R&R. Prequel to 'Disagreement' Doesn't matter what order they are read in .


**-Afterwards-**

A distant murmur of voices broke his lifeless state. His body still tingled with pain but a soft voice breathed on his neck; prickling his hairs. The voice; which sounded far-off and mumbled,was now descending into a formable sentence. 

'Ron ... Ron ... wake up ... open your eyes.'

He flickerd his eyelids slightly, he could just make out a band of golden light, breaking the bond of darkness. His visionwas still clouded, blurry forms are made, and people are heard scurrying around him.

'Oh, you're awake Ron ... try opening your eyes a little wider.'

Using all the strength he could muster, Ron opened his eyes and looked into the face of Lupin. His eyes were heavy and black, like an invisible force was pulling the skin under his lower eyelids down, forming bags. Lupin looked even older and exhausted than usual.

Ron looked around at the surroundings before him. It was apparent that he was lying flat on his back, on the cold floor of the Department of Mysteries. He was still lying in the place where he collapsed; the room with the brains. Ron, instantly tried to sit up but felt some strong, sharp, hot pain slither around his torso and arms which caused him back down.

'Don't move,' Lupin advised.

'Lupin ... what – what – happened?' Ron asked, as Lupin pulled some pliers out of a bag and started to cut away at the brain tentacles, which were still wrapped tightly around Ron's arms.

Lupin sighed and inhaled a deep breath. 'Voldermort –' (Ron winced. He still wasn't used to the name) 'came back tonight, Ron. He tried to attack Harry and Dumbledore stepped in. I didn't witness it myself but Dumbledore told me enough.'

'W – W – where's Harry? Is he alright? What about Hermione? And Ginny? And –'

Lupin put up a hand to silence him. 'Harry is currently at Hogwarts. He is not injured, but has some – _issues_ – to sort out.'

Ron nodded. 'What about the others?'

'Ginny's ankle is broken, Neville's nose, too. Luna has just awoken and from what we can tell is pretty much unharmed.' He pointed towards a far corner where Luna was wrapped in her cloak, talking to Cornelius Fudge.

'What about Hermione?'

'She's not doing so well, Ron,' said Lupin, sadly. 'She'll be alright soon.'

Lupin cut fiercely at the last tentacle and helped Ron to his feet. His legs wobbled drunkenly for a moment before straightening. Ron took a moment to look around the room. He noticed most of the Order was there, except a few were missing ...

'Where's everyone?'

'Some are still dealing with the Death Eaters ... they were caught earlier. A few in St. Mungos. Sirius is ...' He broke off suddenly and Ron noticed he had a pang of grief on his face.

'Sirius came? Where is he?'

'He – he – he didn't make it Ron ... he's dead.'

Ron's breath caught in his throat. He felt his fingers slide from the arm Lupin was try to steady him with. His eyes seemed fixated onto something in front of him, something he couldn't see. An invisible cloud seemed to hover in the air, drawing Ron to it, inviting him into its hazy focus.

'No. He – he – he can't be,' he whispered. Not daring himself to believe it.

'He is,' Lupin said firmly. Ron had the sneaky suspicion that Lupin was trying to convince himself as much as Ron. 'We can't do anything about it.'

He reached down into the large bag, where the pliers were originally stowed, and pulled out an old patched hat. 'Here ... this is a portkey. You and Miss Lovegood will take this to the Hospital Wing, where Madame Pomfrey will be able to fix you up.'

Lupin smiled briefly, although his smile was filled with hurt and misery and beckoned for Luna to join them. Luna took the hint, said her goodbyes to Cornelius Fudge and strode over Ron.

'I must go now.' Lupin informed them, 'I'll hope to see you soon.' He left them and joined Cornelius Fudge's side.

Luna turned to Ron and smiled warmly. 'The rest will be Ok,' she said affectionately.

Ron returned the smile as Luna placed her fingers on top of the hat. Ron felt a tug in his navel and seconds later found his feet softly touch another ground.

'Mr Weasley! Miss Lovegood! Heavens come and lie down.' Madame Pomfrey had jumped off one of the mattresses and was now positively shrieking at them. She marched over to them, taking Ron's arm in one hand and Luna's in the other. She pulled to the end of the row of beds, where two unoccupied beds lay, either side of an occupied one. Just as Ron was getting into the bed on the right, he saw a mound of bushy brown hair, sticking out of the bedcovers –

'_Hermione_!' Ron moaned, springing out of bed and walking over to Hermione's side.

'Leave her be,' said Madame Pomfrey.

'No! I have to see if she's alright!' He shouted, amazed by the power of his voice. He reached out a hand and swiftly moved the bedcovers down and over her face. 'Merlin!' he exclaimed when he saw how ghostly and ailing she looked.

'That's enough!' Barked Madame Pomfrey. Walking briskly over to Hermione and covering her face again. 'Into bed ... now!'

Ron took one last look at Hermione's bed before moving towards his own bed.

'Preposterous,' stated Madame Pomfrey after she had bid Luna goodnight, 'it's lucky no one was killed.'

'What's wrong with Hermione?' Ron asked her in a concerned voice.

'She'll be fine. She might be experience a lot of discomfort for a while but she'll be Ok.'

'Where's Ginny and Neville?'

'Down at the end,' she answered, pointing towards the opposite end, where two figures laid sleeping.

'I heard you were attacked by brains, Mr Weasley.'

'Er – yeah,' Ron replied sheepishly.

'Where are your injuries?' Madame Pomfrey asked.

'On my arms ... it hurts across my chest, too,' said Ron.

Madame Pomfrey sighed, 'very well. Take off your shirt and I'll fetch some ointment.'

She left.

Just as Ron started to take his second arm out of his shirt, he heard a soft murmur to his left, followed by the muffled sound of, 'Ron?'

Ron looked over to Hermione's bed. Her eyes were fully open and staring in Ron's direction. Ron felt his face flush and he tried to cover his chest up.

'Mr Weasley, kindly don't put your shirt back on. I am unable to apply the ointment, otherwise.' Madame Pomfrey said as she ambled back into the room, carrying a bottle. As soon as she saw Hermione she gasped and almost dropped the ointment onto the floor. 'Miss Granger ... how are you, dear?'

'I'm alright,' Hermione answered, quietly.

'You just get some rest, dear. Them potions I gave you earlier will help ... Now –' she turned back to Ron, 'take your other arm out so I can apply this.'

Ron and Hermione both turned huge shades of crimson, and even in the darkness their blushes were noticeable. Ron quickly glanced at Hermione before tearing his whole shirt off. Both their blushes deepened and Hermione's eyes popped and mouth fell open. Hermione watched intensively as Madame Pomfrey applied an ointment onto Ron's arms; where great deep welts ran down.

'There you go,' Madame Pomfrey said, 'now – I'm off to see the Headmaster. I will be back in fifteen minutes.' She smiled slightly and hurriedly exited the room. As soon as her footsteps died away, Hermione burst into tears.

'What's wrong?' Ron asked her. Stuffing his shirt back on and walking over to her side. When he approached her, she sat up straight; wincing greatly; and looked at Ron, tears in her eyes. 'It hurts Ron.'

Ron thought about placing a hand on top of hers but he found he couldn't find the way to do it. 'Just take it easy,' he advised. 'Here...'

He pulled her pillows and helped bring Hermione into a more comfortable postion.

'What happened?' She asked.

Ron sighed and sat down on the end of Hermione's bed. 'Hermione, something awful happened –'

'I know,' she whispered, 'about Sirius, right? Dumbledore told me.'

Ron nodded. 'What happened to you?'

'Dolohov - He sent a curse towards me, a jet of purple light. I'm unsure what it is.'

Ron fumed, 'I'll kill the bloody –'

'_Ron_!'

'Er – sorry – It's just – well – I don't like seeing you hurt.'

Hermione smiled beautifully; twisted her legs around and scurried along the bed to sit next to Ron. 'What happened to you – to your arms?'

'Well ... me, Luna and Ginny got separated from you guys. We then found ourselves in this room with all these floating planets. Then I got hit by something. Not sure what it was, but it made me go all funny. I was ranting about Uranus or something when we found Harry. Then I saw all these brains and I was feeling really childish, so I – er – summoned it and it – er – attacked me.'

Hermione let loose a small gasp. 'Can I – can I – umm ... can I see your arms again?'

'I really don't think you should.'

Hermione didn't listen however. She had begun to roll up Ron's sleeves. When his arm was bare, Hermione let out another gasp, followed by a sniffle, 'Oh my!'

'It's where the brain tentacles wrapped around me.' Hermione looked deeply concerned and seemed to be resisting the urge to cry again. 'I know,' he said, watching her as she examined him closely, 'they're ugly, aren't they?'

Hermione didn't answer. Instead, she raised her hand to the welts and asked in a timid whisper, 'Can I?'

Ron nodded in reply. Hermione softly laid her hand on Ron's arm and he shuddered at her touch. However, her hand; gently resting on his arm; did not hurt him in the slightest. On the contra, it seemed to soothe him.

Hermione suddenly looked up quickly and both their eyes locked with one-another. Hermione let her free hand travel up to Ron's cheek.

'Ron, I –'

But before she had time to finish, they had both leaned in closer and Ron felt his lips on hers. The kiss was soft and gentle, filled with so much love and passion. Electricity seemd to flow through them; drawing them closer, deepening the kiss. Hermione let her hand; which was still on Ron's cuts, slowly trail up his arm and around his neck; creating that soft, tingly feeling. Ron carefully put an arm around her waist and his other hand slowly drew to her face, cupping her chin gently.

Something inside him made him want to carry on. Deepen the kiss, never want to break this blissful feeling and stay in this position forever. But ... he knew it had to end sometime.

Gradually and cautiously they broke apart. Ron's hand instantly flew from her face. 'Er – er – I – er –'

Hermione smiled, took her hand off the side of his face and threw it around his neck. 'I'm sorry,' she said, biting her lip.

Ron cleared his throat, his verbal skills were mastered again and he said daringly, 'Don't be.' He brought a hand to her cheek again and caressed it tenderly.

Hermione looked up at him and smiled brightly. 'I've wanted to do that for so long.'

'Really?' Ron asked in total shock.

Hermione nodded.

Ron grinned goofily. 'Me too. For all this time I've wanted to say something ... I like you, Hermione. I like you a lot. I like it when you scrunch your nose up at the tiny things ... I like it how your brow furrows when you've done something wrong ... I like it when you –'

But just then he was caught by Hermione's lips on his cheek. 'I feel the same way,' she murmured onto his cheek.

Ron pulled away. 'I think it's more than like for me, though. I think – I think – I think – I might ... I might ... I l – lo –lo –lov –lo –'

'Ron ?' Hermione said, interrupting his ramble.

'Yeah?'

'I love you.'

Ron smiled. And using all the courage he could muster – 'I love you too.'

Hermione leaned forwards and snuggled deep into Ron's chest. Being so warm in his arms carried her off to sleep.

**-Fin-**


End file.
